Advances in satellite tagging and tracking technology are revealing the complex lives of great white sharks and raising important questions about capture welfare during research.
Research tagging of great white sharks involves capturing wild animals for tag attachment, a procedure associated with significant physiological stress. Studies show that prolonged captivity on drumlines and invasive tagging procedures cause measurable stress responses including abnormal cardiac activity. Developing less invasive tagging technologies and minimising capture duration are welfare priorities. The knowledge gained from shark tracking justifies carefully conducted research, but animal welfare considerations should be integrated into research protocols as standard practice.